Cynthia Lee Conn

Cynthia Lee Conn went home to be with her Lord and Savior on Saturday, September 5, 2020. Cyndi, loving wife and mother had a life full of adventure and hardship. She was 68 years young when she entered her Saviors presence. She fought a very good fight.

Cynthia Lee Stoumbaugh was born in 1951 to Ernest and Eva Stombaugh at Rose Hospital in Denver Colorado. She was the youngest of 5 children. Sadly, she lost her Daddy at the very young of 6. As an adult, in 1969 Cyndi was blessed to have a wonderful Step Dad come into her life. Robert “Bob” Collins had a great spiritual impact on Mom and she loved him so.

Cyndi married Rick Lee Hunt at the young age of 16. Together they raised three children. Two daughters, Shawnea and Shannel and one son, Shane. In 1983 Cyndi took a job at the Safeway store in Parker Colorado to pay for braces for her children. Thanks Mom!!!! She paid for those braces on all three kids and then she put braces on herself, to perfect that beautiful smile! And Ohhhh what a radiant smile it was!!!! That job at Safeway, that she began in order to pay for beautiful smiles became her career and she retired from Safeway Corporation some 20+ years later. In 1995 a handsome man started frequenting Safeway, purchasing more groceries than a single man would actually eat. Especially for a fireman who ate most of his meals at the fire house. Those grocery purchases paid off….... And lead to a date night at Village Inn. Push the high speed button, approximately six weeks later – yes…..... You read that right… 42 days later Gil and Cyndi were married. Who needs to date when you can just get married! Funny thing, Cyndi proposed to Gil and he stills says there was no way he was gonna say no! So, on December 30, 1995 Gil promised to love Cyndi through better or worse and in sickness and in health, and so he did. This was a beautiful romance and Gil loved Cyndi better than any man ever loved a woman. Gil treasured Cyndi, he took care of her emotionally and made her feel safe. Gil has two children, Dave Conn and Melissa Conn and they too would experience being loved by Cyndi. Gil worked hard to build a beautiful home and mom always had Gil doing chore after chore, inside and outside. Together they built a beautiful home and Franktown oasis. We are so very thankful that Gil faithfully and with upmost kindness, served mom and loved her through her many medical needs. Mom was grateful for Gil and we, (Cyndi’s kids) are so grateful for Gil. He loved our mamma well! Mom softened Gil over the years, and with the Holy Spirit in lead she helped bring out the best in Gil.

Cyndi had quite a few hobbies through the years. Ceramics, cross stitching, quilting, and scrapbooking thousands and thousands of photos. Some of Moms most treasured friendships were built with the whirr of sewing machines in the background, as the “Sewing Ladies” gathered together to sew and fellowship. They built beautiful quilts, and even more beautiful friendships. Cyndi treasured these times. Cyndi also loved to work in her flower gardens. Her flowers were beautiful, and she doted over them. Her policy on plants in her yard was, “when in doubt, yank it out”. She said don’t put up with a plant that you don’t love. Great advice! She kept Gil busy ripping out juniper bushes for years!

Cyndi volunteered in her church body through the years. She served as a Bible study leader, an usher, and she also volunteered in the food room. Mom had so many girlfriends that she cherished, we couldn’t mention them all. In her church family and out, relationships were important to Cyndi. She was very intentional about loving on her friends....and those many friends were intentional about loving on her.

Many may not know that In April 2008, Cyndi had “adopted” a 6-year-old young girl to spiritually and financially support, through Compassion International. Her name is Salima and she lives in Tanzania. She is now almost 18 years old. Salima was especially important to Cyndi. These two wrote letters back and forth constantly. Salima often thanked Cyndi for all the photos, stickers, birthday gifts, and financial help, which aided in purchasing: mattresses, rice, oil, steel panels for their home, roofing materials, timber materials, couches, bags, shoes and bedsheets. In one of her last letters, Salima told Cyndi that her family in Tanzaniacould never be in the good place that they were, without the loving support that Cyndi and Gil had so generously given Salimas whole family through the years.

Cyndi spent many years volunteering through her doctors office, with an Amyloidosis support group. She passionately worked to help support and Encourage other people affected by her terrible disease. Moms own unfortunate encounter with the disease called Primary Amyloidosis started in 2000. She started feeling “off”. Medical tests were slow to give answers and when the news finally came in, it was a dirty word. Amyloidosis. This was such a rare disease that the insurance company denied her treatment. As a family we rallied around Mom and thoughtfully put together an appeal. With the help of friends and family, we made sure that Blue Cross Blue Shield knew Cyndi as a beautiful person, a 49 year YOUNG Wife, Mother, Grandmother, Sister and Friend and not a case number in a folder on a desk.

In April 2001 as Cyndi was standing over her own mamas’ bedside, as Eba neared her own heavenly appointment, Cyndi received the call. Her treatment was approved, and the appeal was successful. I, Shannel, remember standing next to my mom, as she leaned over her own mamma and cried telling her mom that her baby girl was going to be given a chance to live. Not long until after that, Cyndi’s mom Eba went to be with the Lord and mom’s battle for her own life began.

Cyndi‘s first bone marrow transplant took place in May 2001. After 6 1/2 weeks in the hospital she was able to resume a very normal and active life after her year long recovery. She regained her strength and the Amyloidosis was put into remission. Cyndi and Gil resumed their traveling and adventures and man did they go places. So so so many places through the years. For a guy who didn’t like to fly much, Mom couldn’t keep him off the airplanes!

Mom‘s second bone marrow transplant happened in 2010. We nearly lost her this time. It was only by the grace of God that she came through that 7 1/2 week stay in the hospital. God made sure we knew that He was not done using her for His Kingdom yet. It was a true miracle she survived. We were given ten more precious years with mom after this transplant. What a MIRACLE. Cyndi spent the last 7 & 1/2 years of her life on peritoneal dialysis. Her treaments in the end lasted 12.5 hours per day. This didn’t include the preparation and hookup time or the disconnect process. With ferocious tenacity, Cyndi tried hard not to let the dialysis limit her life and travels. It was hard, but she pressed on and had many adventures during these dialysis years.

Cyndi was the biggest prayer warrior we ever knew. Without a doubt she faithfully prayed for probably for every single heart and soul reading these words. She was a prayer giant.

Some of us in Cyndi’s life needed extra amounts of prayer and when the going got tough mom prayed and prayed more and shined from the inside out for Christ. Prayer was Mom’s greatest gift to her family and friends. When she lost her beloved nephew Buddy she loved and prayed faithfully for the Stombaugh family. When her own children tragically lost their Dad, she prayed us through the very difficult times. When uncle Lloyd passed on she held onto and loved his whole family and prayed and prayed. When Glenda lost her battle to cancer, moms love continued to radiate and spread the love of Christ to all her nieces and nephews. When illness again knocked on her family’s door, her heart broke as she lost her only sister, Goldie Karean Smith. Moms vigilance to stay with the Smiths and support them was unwavering. Sadly, the Smith family lost their Dad, Dan Smith 13 short days later. Mom was heavily burdened in prayer for her Smith family. She prayed on......

Mom deeply loved her many nieces and nephews. From Wyoming to Texas she loved and reached out to all, praying for and encouraging them all. She prayed faithfully for each one of these precious kids. You were all her extended children and really, her friends.

Oh and then there’s her brothers........ Big brother Gailen was the apple of her eye. He was almost more like a daddy to her in the early years. She could never get enough time in Gailen’s company. She loved this man and his sweet face. She treasured the ole’ heart that’s crusty on the outside and totally mushy and teddy bear like on the inside. Wyoming was always too far away and she hated being so far from Gailen and Marsha and all Nieces and families. Then there is Arnold. His giggle and smile she cherished. His tender heart and the soft way he called her “Sis”. She loved their friendship, and cherished Gayle. She loved talking fast cars with Arnold and just craved any time she could get with this Texan family! Such a deep love. Cyndi so looked up to him and cherished being his baby sister....... Even after he locked her in the basement as a young girl, so he could get time alone with his girlfriend. lol

The only thing that mom loved more than her precious family, was the Lord Jesus Christ. Her Bibles are marred and marked up and worn out. The margins are filled with prayer requests, praises and gratitude to the Lord for all his goodness and faithfulness, not only to her, but to her whole family. She thanked the Lord over and over and begged Him to provide answers. Her single goal in life was to love those around her, like her Savior loved her. Cyndi’s faith was not something that sat on the shelf. She lived her faith out. The testimony of that is spread throughout all the hearts missing her today. It is all the people that she cared for and encouraged and reached out to and supported in good times and in bad.

Mom would want you all to know what her greatest possession was. It was the gift inside of her heart. The beautiful dwelling of the Holy Spirit that came into her life as a young child. More than anything in the world, mom wanted her family and friends to know the love of Christ. To be changed personally in their heart and know beyond a shadow of a doubt that Jesus gave his life up for her and for you! In the 20 years of her living with a terrible disease, affecting every single organ and every single system in her body, we can say confidently that there was hardly ever a complaint.

This is not humanly possible. It is only possible through the blessing of living a life surrendered over to Christ. Please today, as a gift to mom, consider opening up your heart and turning your life over to Christ. Let His love bless you and bless your families and impact your legacy for generations and generations.

Cyndi knew that her suffering in this life had a purpose. It was to spread the good news that Jesus Christ died and rose again to save every single person. She shared this good news with as many people as she could. She was here to impact God’s kingdom for eternity. Cyndi knew her heavenly purpose and lived that out in her earthly life.

We are so grateful to our Mom for the Godly legacy that she left for us, her 9 grandchildren and her 4 great grand-children. She loved these kids more than we could possibly express.

Grandchildren:

Chantel Wilkes Hirchel (Jason)

Clancey Soderbeck (Bethany)

Sonora Wilkes Putman (Jesse)

Lexi Soderbeck

Sabre’ Soderbeck

Clayton Hunt

Morgan Hunt

Logan Hunt

Preston Hunt

Great Grandchildren:

Silas Putman (3)

Lilah Soderbeck (2)

Elyana Putman (11 Months)

Mesa Sodebeck (7 Months)

Mom is now dancing, untethered in the streets of heaven. She no longer has the bondage and tubes and medical ports and physical limitations. Those things that kept her tethered are now gone in Christ! She’s free!

Thank you God for turning her loose and giving her access to all the crowns that she had stored up in heaven. She was ready for your loving embrace!